hi all

my hubby had an interview last week for a cladding job in edmonton. i have been looking on web and i was just wondering what the schools are like. my kids are ages 9, 8, 6.

any insight to this would be gratefully appreciated.

vicky

Was the interview in the UK ?

Did a recruitment company interview him ?

yes the interview was in manchester, there were three men from the building company that came over specially for the interviews.

Your still at least a good few months away from him getting in from the looks of it.

I take it that he is having to send away certificates and what not to get them verified. That process alone is about a month.

I'm in the same boat as you when I take my family over (about a year after I've landed). I was told by some relations in Canada that their friends had problems getting kids into schools they ended up moving into a different state (take this with a pinch of salt) but it has made me think about doing my own homework for when my family do come.

I take it your going on his TFW ? Another problem I'd look at is working on the TFW itself can be slightly problematic if he gets the dread "tap on the shoulder". This is another reason why I'm leaving my family firmly on British soil until I have my Red Seal and PR (which the company that will be employing me are putting me through)

I'm not trying to put you off taking everyone at the same time just trying to give you another perspective on this as I'm in the exact same position.

if he gets the job he will be on a 3 month probation period, then me and the kids will still prob stay in uk till he has saved enough money to be able to afford to rent somewhere. it will be lonely but i think it's better that way,

thanks stevie_m

Has been asked about unions ?

Only reason I'm asking is that's another 3 month wait after he's started working there before he can join.

Depending on the area you will be about $1600 to $2000 per month from what I've seen.

Fort Saskatchewan looks very good it would be worth a look.
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Your more than welcome, the way I see it we (us) are basically in the same boat and if I needed help I would like to think that I would get the same honest advice also.


I know what you mean by being lonely but there is a reason to go alone, you might find the job that he has been offered is what they offered or he might not like the State (and if this is the case it's back home to Blighty and back to square one).

I'm gonna try and survive a year out in Canada so I can obtain my Red Seal (which makes me a qualified "journeyman" which I am here but need to do a pass a test and six month probation period) and the company I'm going with will start PR paperwork (once I arrive I'll be asking straight away and asking fellow workmates to see if this is gospel truth... If not I'll start it myself) this then allows me to change worksites and location of where my family will settle. Unfortunatly the TFW visa does not allow this type of freedom as your visa is "linked" to the job offer that you accepted.


Now if I'm wrong in any way please correct me. (mods & users)

The schools will be perfectly adequate and fairly safe. Canadians don't really care that much about the quality of instruction and nor do the schools push the children academically very much. The only problems you may face will come from a school board if its dominated by idiots with specific agendas or further political aspirations.

Oink are you saying that the whole of the educational system in Canada is sub-standard? If so can you clarify somewhat please? Do 'the British' care so much about the standard and quality of instruction, I don't have any information on it, but haven't been led to believe its outstandng. Surely unless you are talking about 'a particular' school, academic bullets are fired up the kids bums by the pushier parent. If the parents are thick as two short planks, then pound to a penny the kid is likely to be more densa than mensa? Am I dooming my child to educational failure by planning to move him to Canada?

First of all there isn't a single system here. Schools are controlled on a provincial and local level. In general, taking some schools that serve aboriginal communities out of the equation, the schools are adequate. The main difference is in attitude. For a variety of historical, social and economic reasons Canadains are generally not competitive when it comes to educational standards. You might get the odd superintendent that has attended one too many conferences in the US, that spouts the latest jargon, but its usually just self premonition and not a genuine concern about standards or transparency. Canadain schools aren't bad, they're just not very academically driven. Most leavers if they can afford it, will go to some form of HE and again, given the structure of grading, most students can and will drift through without fear of failure.

Thanks Oink! I think I can cope and am not doomed!

But they will take on the attitudes of their peers.